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The fact we're still discussing Rebellion in 2022 tells me that, despite how divisive its ending was, it succeeded in what it was trying to do.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" feels like a perfect description of Homura

I think that one of the things that aren't talked about enough is the fact that what initially caused Homura to start to see the cracks in her labyrinth was that she was happy. We know that a witch's labyrinth is made to torture the witch itself and the fact that Homura's Labyrinth was her idea of a perfect world filled with happiness says alot. For a person filled with as much self-hate as Homura the idea of being happy herself was unacceptable. It was so out of character for her that it almost immediately started to undo the brainwashing she had originally and that is important. We can see the very moment that Homura recognizes that she is happy is the very moment that the faces on the extra's disappear and the more and more she tears apart this reality full of happiness apart, the more and more the world starts to degrade. Even when Sayaka directly confronts Homura if she could accept this world, Homura doesn't even take it into consideration and instead just ends up attacking her. At the end of the day, she set her happiness ablaze before confronting Kyube. Ironically it's not her turning into a devil at the end of rebellion that's out of character for her, it's her being happy in the beginning that is by far the most out of character

I've seen a lot of people believe Homura aged during her time jumps when that's physically and psychologically not possible, she just spent nearly 12 years stuck as a determined 14yr old girl resigned to an eternal loop if needed be. Repetition and being unwilling to move on and grow could pretty much explain part of her lack of creativity within her Labyrinth. And even though she accepted being the Evil to Madoka's Good, she clearly still hates herself for it as shown with the continued presence of her Familiars, the Clara Dolls, whose only purpose is to mock Homura (they even symbolically commit suicide!). Oh btw, Bebe's real name is Nagisa Momoe (age 8, at the time of death). I think the movie should've at least made that more clear outside of the credits.

I sort of read Rebellion as Homura finally accepting that the loop that caused Madokami is the best one she'll get. Even if it's not what Homura wanted, she is willing to sacrifice some of her wish so Madoka can be what she obsessively fell in love with. Admittedly I've yet to read any of the other material, but contextually I think it's the end of the loops. This is kinda where I think Homura's obsession starts to fall away to a more acceptable form of love. Albeit she's still very much obsessed with her.

I notice that Homura kept her glasses and older hair style UNTIL she has to execute Madoka. The time reversal after that, she became a lot more cold. I think that traumatized her more than we’re outwardly shown tbh. I don’t think Homura did much different than most of us would in her position though honestly. It’d be natural to attach to someone when you’re lonely and they extend a hand of friendship. I can’t really blame her for the events of Rebellion because she just wanted to live with Madoka forever.

Personally, I think Homura’s decision at the end of rebellion was what she felt she had to do. The incubators had found out how to capture Madoka and they would try and try again until they found a way to take her. And Homura made the decision to once again protect her, even if that decision made Madoka hate her. This take is also interesting and I’m interested to see both how the next movie goes and how Wraith Arc goes since it’s finally being released in English.

4:52 I don't think it's that she was smiling because she didn't care, more so she was just trying to cheer Madoka up from what she had to do. Clearly, there are tears in her eyes, and yes, her one goal is to save Madoka, but it's clear she does care about the other girls

Rebellion's ending is a bit of a hot topic and while I definitely do like it, I think this video really made me realize the big difference that makes a lot of people (myself included) find the original series' ending a lot more satisfying. Madoka's wish forces Homura to move on. It forces her to grow, to develop. To see more in the world. One of the things I love about the anime is how it shows you a world worth saving. A lot of the seemingly-unimportant moments, like Madoka being with her family, Sayaka and Kyousuke listening to music together, all show you what the characters have to fight for. They all have something to protect, and they all see the beauty in the world that makes them want to fight for it, Madoka most of all. She gives up everything because she loves the world so much and everyone in it. So when Homura suddently loses the one thing that matters to her and can't go back, she's forced to change. And just for a moment, at the very end, it seems like she might finally be able to move on and live. Rebellion is the unfortunate truth about Homura: That she can't do that. Really, you can see the difference between how she and Madoka view the world from one of her last lines in episode 12 - I believe she says something like, _"Although this world is filled with sorrow and hatred, it's still a place she wanted to protect. And that is why I continue my fight."_ She does not care about the world the same way as Madoka did, and she simply cannot continue to fight just for her. She's become so consumed by her love that she's just so utterly unable to change. In the end, she relapses back into the kind of situation Madoka gave up everything to free her from. It's like seeing a good friend going back to an addiction just when you thought they've finally made progress. It's truly saddening, but that's just how things are sometimes. Even though we don't want it to happen, the growth we look for can't come about until Homura changes. But with the lengths we see her go to in Rebellion, I can't help but wonder if she ever will.

And people still think that Homura's choice was "off-character" Did they really watched the same show we did?!

"Homura's lack of creativity" made me lol. I always took it as Homura trying to recreate the time she felt the happiest. I find that the stakes really change for her when she learns about witches: now she needs to save Madoka from not only dying fighting a witch, but becoming a witch herself. How does she do that? Protecting her from external threats is one thing, but how can she protect her from herself?

I think the detail that Madoka is also the only one who doesn't betray/try to kill Homura in any timeline is a big part of this too. Yes, Madoka was the most important one to her in the first and even second timeline, but the other girls were still her friends too. One, two or all three of the other three attempt to kill, stop or just hurt her in the various timelines in a way that goes against friendship while Madoka at least goes against Homura in ways that doesn't harm or invalidate the friendship. Obviously the biggest betrayals are technically from Madoka by making a wish, but it isn't done with the intent of directly hurting Homura, so Homura still values their friendship despite Madoka going against her. Maybe if the other three were similarly supportive, then Homura wouldn't have grown so cold to them as timelines occur and all of her affection wouldn't have been so densely concentrated into just Madoka.

It seems to me Homura's problem is less selfishness and more a great confusion about which of Madoka's wants and needs need priority. I mean, say someone you care about is locked into a job so demanding they can't ever see their family or friends. It hurts them very much, they as much say so to your face in an unguarded moment. Is it honestly selfish to want to see them relieved of that job... at least slightly? Wouldn't it be shocking and confusing if you manage to do so only to hear them grieve the loss of it? And don't forget she viewed Kyubey as such a great threat that she was willing to throw her chance at going to heaven... aka being with Madoka forever... to stop it from happening.

Mami didn't open to Homura, she just opened to Madoka and showed her weakness and loneliness when asking Madoka to join her Sayaka kinda just told her that she was useless in every timeline And Kyouko wasn't around them most times

I can't quite put into words just how beautifully tragic Homura's story feels. That pain of the thing that you love about someone, also being the main factor pulling you apart.

It's a shame, but I feel like as is so common in the fandom, Homura's arc has been completely misunderstood and that the analysis is working backwards from Homura is evil and wrong and then working to justify it from that point. It couldn't be that Homura is concerned the person she cared about most took on a fate she admitted was worse than death. It couldn't be that she can't stand to see someone who was so good and kind suffer eternally. It couldn't be Homura is willing to sacrifice everything not for her own benefit, but to give Madoka a happy life - even if that meant becoming her enemy. Nope, it must be that Homura is obsessed and deranged and stupid. Like, for example, the implication she doesn't care about anyone or anything other than Madoka is contradicted in both the text and subtext of Rebellion. Talking about how cruel she felt it was to reveal the truth of the magical girl condition to Mami. How she went out of her way to give everyone, Mami, Kyoko, Nagisa, even Sayaka, and yes, Madoka happy lives. That she built her perfect world around the concept of all of them being friends and working together, not her being alone with Madoka. That she apologized to Kyoko and called her for that purpose before she decided to kill herself for their benefit. It is so tiring and so frustrating that so many people represent Homura as a one dimensional caricature of the rich and nuanced character she actually is.

I have a moment in my life that relates to Homura in a small way. When i was a teen my sister introduced me to some friends. She was a social butterfly and I was social outcast. I made some friends for however long it was but there was a moment that I found to be a night i'd never forget. Ironically I can't remember too much of it now but it was a weekend I spent with my group of friends. They drank cold medicine to get drunk or high and i simply enjoyed their company. We talked, played video game and had deep conversations while listening to music. It was like a party i never wanted to end. So much that i tried to re-create it a week later. I tried to gather up everyone again but no one could make it. So much to the point where the week after my friends mother who owned the house got rather sick of me being there. I had to learn the hard way that time is precious when you spend it with friends, and you cannot re-create the same fun you had before. I think that's why Homura is relatable to people like me, the Desire to continue a feeling or a moment in time for as long as one can. But unlike Homura, I learned that time cannot be kept still or contained.

If you're ever interested about covering Kyoko's character, I strongly suggest reading the first volume of the "Madoka Magica: The Different Story" manga, based off of the 3rd drama cd "Farewell Story" for a broader scope. It covers Kyoko and Mami's partnership prior to the start of the series. Hell, it even reveals Kyoko used to have a cloning technique!

You made a lot of great points!! True love does require the potential to be rejected or it’s not real love. I also think it’s interesting, Homura is the only MG we see who ever exists in that state of despair for an extended time and be able to choose how to move through it. In the real world, you can hit rock bottom and then move on. It’s so sad how the MG’s never get that chance. I like seeing Homura getting some agency over her own despair, instead of the incubators using it for their own purposes.

Homura has every right to be a a villain.

I love Madoka Magica and seeing such recent video essays all about my favorite anime has been such a wonderful thing With such limited content one can pull out a lot of it but it has this entropic nature where there’s only so much you can discuss before repeating yourself Can’t wait to see essays on the new movie that might be coming out this year!

I just realized that Homura's world is an opportunity. I hope in Homura's world, the girls get a chance to actually solve their own problems. Talk about them. Put them behind. Not...sacrifice their lives because they can't handle it anymore but they don't want to hurt people. P.S: I'm starting to understand the mindset behind the theory saying Madoka was actually planning to take her own life for a time now, and becoming a Goddess simply presented itself as an opportunity to do it and still be useful.

I'm just gonna come out and say it. Madoka Rebellion is easily one of my all time favorite movies period, right up there with The Matrix (which it shares many similarities to, what with its story of escaping an artificial reality, time-slowing gun battle, and overt religious symbolism). I'll even go so far as to say that it is better than several of the Evangelion movies, as it communicated many of the same themes and messages in a subtler and less overly obvious manner, alongside keeping the themes in the background, rather than having the story be dictated by them at the cost of narrative cohesion. I'd love to see you analyze this film more, as it is absolutely ripe with things to discuss. Maybe one on how it is influenced by philosophy like Plato's Allegory Of The Cave and Friedrich Nietzsche, is packed with religious symbolism ranging from Christianity, Gnosticism, and Buddhism, and uses many allusions to literary works such as The Nutcracker and Paradise Lost? It really is such a rich work of art, one that deserves to be analyzed more than it does. :)

My friend and I always come back to one point when it comes to to Homura: by the end she no longer loves Madoka but the idea of her. Homura doesn’t love Madoka for who she is but for what she represents.

When it comes to puella magi madoka magica, one of the biggest problems I have with it is that Homura’s wish was never actually granted. Her wish was to; “Meet Ms. Kaname all over again but this time, instead of her protecting me, I want to be strong enough to protect her!” But when you look back across the series, never once was Homura able to successfully save Madoka. Kyubey said that he would be able to make any wish come true so I feel like this wish should’ve been granted because at that time, Madoka wasn’t the centre of karmic destiny. Despite the phrasing, I doubt Kyubey can read minds to sense the underlining goal of why a girl is making a wish. Even though we don’t hear Sayaka’s wish, it most likely just had something to do with healing Kyousuke and Kyubey did just that. But in Homura’s case, it’s as though he completely disregards the other half of the reason why Homura made her wish which doesn’t make sense. By all extensive purposes, if Kyubey HAD ACTUALLY granted Homura’s wish, she would’ve gone back to meet Madoka again but she should’ve been powerful enough to protect her (killing walpurgisnacht) and anything else that threatened Madoka and none of this would’ve happened. If anyone wants to discuss, feel free to

Thank you so much for this analysis! I feel like Rebellion is still misunderstood too often, but your analyses are always on-the-mark. I would, perhaps, add one level of interpretation that I saw in the movie, and if you have thoughts on it, I'd love to hear! As you said in this video, Homura wishes primarily to be with Madoka, whereas Madoka's primary wish is to help others. In this sense, while they sort of reflect the dichotomy of selfishness vs. selflessness, I find it more accurate to say that they represent the dichotomy between two parts of healthy love: Homura represents the desire for union with the beloved, while Madoka represents the desire for the good of the beloved. When either of these two is taken by itself, without the other, it can lead to, at best, bittersweet endings: Madoka sacrificed herself and her existence to save magical girls; Homura became a devil and destroyed the Law of Cycles in order to allow everyone to live their normal, happy lives again. (Homura also thus represents the philosophy of Nietzsche.) Both ascensions are, in that light, mistakes in one way or another - the kind that, normally, children would be able to learn from and move on, but, of course, the tragedy of magical girls is the inability to move beyond their wish/curse. All that to say, just as Sayaka and Kyoko learned that selfishness and selflessness must both be held together in balance, Madoka and Homura have failed to learn how the two aspects of love must go together in order for love to be complete. Hence the post-credit scene wherein both the heavens (the moon - Madoka) and the earth (Homura) are eerily split in two, with a soundtrack piece titled "not yet."

I also interpreted Homura harvesting energy from the entire Kyubey race asbeing an act of revenge against them (along with the obsession of keeping Madoka enslaved in an innocent stasis forever). Great analysis, I really enjoyed your video on Sayaka Miki’s character, too!

I CANT WAIT until the new movie comes out

I literally get so excited every time you upload a video about madoka magica because I know you're going to deliver! I loved this! That line about homura not caring about what, why, when, or how just who was exactly what I've always thought about the show. I always felt like the essence of why this show and other shows like it (devilman crybaby) are so good is not just the apocalyptic world with dark themes, but the idea that an entire apocalypse can be centered around the relationship between two people. That "who" is so consuming that homura purposefully wants to come across as evil just to prove that madoka's goodness, it almost makes me think that she doesn't love madoka so much as she loves the feeling that someone so perfectly good/pure could love her back. Almost like she's addicted to the feeling of specialness madoka provides for her.

I just realized something a former catholic, we are put in this earth to suffer our sins away to be closer to god. If Modoka is god then it makes sense that Homura would suffer over and over to be closer to god.

I think you can't take Homura's suggestion that they become witches together at face value. She does after all consent to killing Madoka herself rather than let her become a witch. It's more that she is bargaining with the world for some scrap of what she wanted to remain. Like some form of grief is sprouting inside her like some kind of seed... If you define a person entirely by the worst fantasy they have of themselves, then no one else in the show is any better as they all become violent destructive witches. Even Madoka. Instead, I see Homura's self hatred. Her wish was not to be near Madoka. It was to protect her. She's become so twisted inside because she's never stopped seeing herself as unworthy. Every failed loop reinforces this as she isn't good enough to protect even one person. And her obsession becomes not just an unhealthy behavior but a necessity for her own survival. If she lets go of Madoka then she accepts that she will never be good enough, and will sink into despair and will become a witch. She's pressed into a choice between driving herself insane or turning into a literal monster. And in spite of her own assertions that she doesn't care about the others, she never abandons them. She tries to fight alongside Mami when she knows it will end in tragedy. She runs after Sayaka's soul gem. She helps Kyoko try to reach Sayaka even though it actively puts Madoka in danger AND derails her plan to use Kyoko to defeat Walpurgisnacht. Homura's coldness is a mask carefully designed to keep her from breaking down. She has to supress her empathy, because she knows from lived experience that the people she wants to be her friends will turn on her. Sayaka self destructs in every single loop, so caring about her will only cause her more pain. The moment Mami comes to realize what their ultimate fate is, she loses her shit and starts kill her friends. It's no wonder she finds it easier to be more honest and direct with Kyoko. But Madoka is the only one who time and time again gives everything for her, and she can't give anything back in return. No matter how much pain and torment she subjects herself to, she firmly believes she hasn't done enough. When Madoka transcends, she dedicates herself to being a living monument to Madoka's sacrifice. She never believes herself to be worthy of having her own life. Trapped inside her own labyrinth, she's incapable of accepting a world where she gets what she wants. Confronted with the possibility of her dream harming Madoka, she seeks to end her own life to protect her. Still chasing that wish. Finally transcending to her full power, she can allow herself to despair. Even in her most perfect dream, Homura still believes that she doesn't deserve happiness for herself. She embraces what she's always believed about herself, that she is bad. So she puts on a new mask, full of mocking smiles and declares herself the devil. Now she can protect Madoka from her fate. She doesn't have to consruct a world with the others in it. Sayaka is physically dead and gone already, but Homura still wants her here. She crafts a world for ALL of them that is free of the supernatural horrors they were unjustly forced to endure. But even here, Madoka resists. And it's then that we can see what's behind the mask. She's not a devil, she's still a crying child afraid that she can't accomplish the one thing she valued her life against.

Very interesting points on Homura and her lack of an imagination. Rebellions ending always made sense to me. I read some of the manga series and the ending is always either Madoka dying or becoming the law of cycles. Of course Homura would grab Madoka the moment she saw her.

I was a little nervous about how this would go after seeing your video on Mami. Those concerns were completely unfounded and this video was fantastic. Bringing up the idea that Madoka is drawn to fight evil, so the only way Homura can be with Madoka is to be that evil that She fights made me think of the paradox that prevents Homura from dying normally in the new world. Madoka comes to take the girls away when they fall into despair, and isn't needed when they already have hope. For Homura, nothing gives her more hope than the prospect of sunny Madoka again, which can only happen when in the pit of despair. Essentially, despair itself gives Homura hope, and hope itself gives Homura despair. Homura had already turned into a witch by the end of Rebellion, but seeing Madoka descend to take her away gives her more hope than Her actually doing Her job and taking her ever could.

I...I can admit I use to be this person. She resonates so hard with my past. I didn't care if I became an enemy..didn't care if I was a slave..I didn't care what .I life became..as long they were there...at the end of rebellion..she made the choice to go to extremist levels of obsession..as long as you are here..I don't care what I am.

I don’t think homura was evil per say she just wanted Madoka safe with her and that just so happened to cause homura to become “ the devil”. Just like Madoka wasn’t planning on becoming godoka she just wanted to protect everyone.

I don't think many have read Kazumi but that manga introduces witch nuts created by "Juubei" that turns nightmares into budding witches. You see in Rebellion that Homura had a witch nut placed in her causing her soul gem to morph Into one that allows her Witch and her to unify. What Homura becomes at the end of rebellion seems to be exactly what the Magius were attempting to do in Magia record. I really hope the Walpurugis film explores how spirits can enter our dreams since Nagisa and Sayaka did it so easily.

It sucks cause if she had thought for a second, saving the other magical girls would probably have saved the day in the end. But she's so focused on keeping Madoka out she lets them die.

How you described Homura here reminds me of another character in a what if story, and that's IF: Pride Subaru from Re;Zero. A character that by the end of that what if story. He becomes the ultimate villain all so the person he cares about most can be the ultimate hero who stops him.

In a sense Homura walked the same path as Sayaka did only she did it god know how many more times in 12 years. Actually those god knows how many tries is the proof of her creativity. The reality is only the goal did not change, everything else did. You did not ask the most important question though: Why would give up on your goal, if you have ideas to solve the riddle? You wouldn't. Especially if this important of a goal as the life of your love. You'll continue as long as you have hope to succeed. She only gave up when she realized her best effort is not enough either, and she can't do anything. Again this is the same as Sayaka's path, just with a lot-lot more misery and despair. She had the worst and the most cruel magical power out of all of them: Hope. Yeah, I know it is reverse time, but that is equal with "I hope next time it will work". It was interesting concept that this nearly endless hope was able to create a godess (Madoka). So I do not think Homura did what she did because of the lack of creativity, but because she already tried everything else. This show is about the irreversiblity of the fate. One of them had to suffer to allow the other to be happy. Happiness cannot exists without sadness. Also the reality is Madoka failed to uproot all evil in the world. The existsence of the evil will in the form of the incubators is a proof of her failure. In my book it makes much more sense that Homura realized this, and accepted all the evil within herself and became the evil itself. This way at least she was able to save Madoka's dream. At least partially. So in the original series Madoka became the godess of the world, and in the rebellion Homura became the Saviour of Madoka's incomplete world. Also In the original series there is the important quote from Sayaka "For all the happiness you wish for someone, someone else gets cursed with equal misery." So either Homura cursed herself with endless misery to finish Madoka's dream, or the other interpretation is that Madoka's wish for a better world cursed Homura with endless dispair and misery and she was forced to became the evil itself because of the will of fate (or the price to pay for the wish). So in the end it is a self fulfulling prophecy, and begs the question: "What was first? The hen or the egg?" Madoka (good) created Homura (evil), or Homura created Madoka? My answer is: Neither of them, they both must exists, because one cannot be without the other, and the fate will find a way to balance the "karma" out.

I am so interested in this anime i have never watched before because of you dude. I absolutely love your channel of video essays

What an outstanding video essay. I most loved the discussion about Homura becoming Evil of that meant Goddess would have to always be there to conflict with her. My words are sorely lacking, whereas your script was enlightening and enthusiastically enjoyable. Well done. I actually a more pensive outlook on this character and series again.

I disagree with Homura not caring about the others. There’s plenty of scenes on both the series and Rebellion that seem to disagree with that. It’s just that she can’t look out for 4 people all at once, and thus looks out for the one closest to her heart: Madoka. Other than that, nice analysis you never fail.

This girls are the cycle of greif: Homura - denial Koyoko - anger Batering - Mami/Bebe Sayaka - Depression (NO NOT CLINICAL DEPRESSION!) Madoka - acceptence

I love seeing the improvements in your videos! This is beautifully written video!

I just found your channel through your Modica Magica videos, so excited to see another!!!! 💕💕

GREAT VIDEO! However I would like to also mention that at the end of rebellion when Homura has become a force called evil the scene where they’re alone In that hallway shows something that could be the biggest twist and of the movie. Madoka will eventually remember who she is. She says it herself “I should have a different form, I should have a different purpose here; so why?” All it takes is Homura grabbing on to her for her to snap out of it but her eyes change colour do her godly gold and her hair becomes free of the physics around her. At the end of rebellion Homura falls off a cliff. Ofc I don’t think she is dead but perhaps she knows that it is all over. It also seems that Homura can leave Madoka alone in her world but Madoka still seems to have her consciousness and perhaps will remember who she is one day and soon. Homura knows and accepts this because if she was still convinced she could keep Madoka down she wouldn’t ever leave her side quite literally. Madoka will prevail.

i love your madoka vids, i saw the notif and ran so fast to watch it.

I love how you you English dub for these videos. I listen to this like a podcast while at work. It's super convenient 😁👌

Not gonna lie his voice is so good for stuff like this

Madoka: One for All Homura: All for One They’d be on opposite sides if they were in My Hero Academia

Great analysis. Really enjoyed this one.

i'm a big fan of your analysis, thank you for doing the lord (godoka)'s work in keeping the word alive!

Wow. I've never heard it put that way before- that Homura only loves a Madoka that will reject her. It makes so much sense...That's why she'd resigned herself to the next best thing that is being with Madoka, but not being _with_ her. All the points about Homura's lack of originality and creativity- simply repeating things again and again. So good. "She simply meets Madoka again". Man, this whole video is such a good analysis. You truly get it. I've loved Madoka since it came out and I'm thrilled there's still brilliant discussion to be made, that says something new.

I love watching analysis videos on rebellion to see what different perspectives there are on the movie

These madoka mágica videos are amazing

Mk I’m starting the video if I hear a “they were just such good friends” I will combust.

I honestly like the interpretation of Homura becoming an eternal evil to forever chase after Madoka since her final attempt at taking a part of Madoka was proven to be unstable and won't last long it makes Rebellion feel like a true ending for Madoka, since beforehand it never really felt like one to me it might be an ending where the story itself never ends but the character journeys find the path they will follow forever

Question...if the incubators were planning to control the law of the cycle didn't Homura save Madoka by separating Madoka from the law of the cycle?

Wow perfect timing! I just finished the show!

Wow, this was a really great video. It made me realize about more aspects I didn't see before. However, this makes me love even more Homura as a character. I mean, Madoka was for sure the first person to truly appreciate Homura, this is where the obsession begins. The lack of self-love and self-esteem, how she focuses all her existence in just being together with Madoka and all the pain she suffered, at the point she even had to change herself drastically, simply makes me feel soo sad and heartbroken. Then, with Madoka's last wish, where all Homura's existence is now useless because there's no more Madoka and how she explains it, I can vividly feel every single word. I mean, Madoka sacrificed herself for others, but didn't think about the rest of Homura's life. At the end of the day, it does seem like, it does not matter how hard, painful, long, sad, alone, etc., the decision Homura has to take to be with Madoka is, she will make it...

We just got the poster and trailer for the sequel to Rebellion, and given the poster depicts Homura post series facing Homura post Rebellion suggests we may get to see a battle between a version of Homura who managed to move on and a Homura who couldn't.

I am so happy that I'm the only one who can't get over how good this series and it's franchise is. I would love an OVA of Oriko where we see what Homura has to do to prevent Kirika from sleath killing Madoka after fighting Mami How much Oriko is like a vilain akin to Kyubei is such an underused plot thread. If we had a "Ground Hogs day" 2nd season that is just Homura's failed timelines. It would actually maximize the variations of timelines

I'm working my way through this playlist now, but your take on Rebellion is quite different from the ones I've seen before. That'd not bad, it's just interesting. I (and most of the videos I've ended up coming across) work from the subs, so I wonder how much of it may come down to that, or if it's really a difference of viewpoint. I feel like if good and evil have roles in this show, they are diminished ones simply because it's not a single parable. It's a complicated story intertwining complicated people, and the incubators are frankly just... set pieces. I feel they themselves are more order v chaos where they represent order, than a specifically evil thing going on. They are a force that needs to be contended with, but the story is in the people and how they interact with each other as they cope with the world that they live in. And just as frankly, the incubators are *so boring.* They make for little more than a briefly engaging philosophical discussion; once you recognize them as part of the backdrop of the setting, if you want to keep engaging with the story you need to start processing how the actions of the actual characters fit into it. When everyone has their own motivation, when everyone is working from the perspective of their own feelings, goals, and lived experiences, good and evil begin to feel like less useful qualifiers to me. I'm not sure I'll ever really be finished processing this show, but as I've grown as a person over time I've realized that "good" and "evil" are so subjective that they're effectively useless.

Very excited to see Homura be right and perfect about everything for 2 hours

Ever since I saw Rebellion, I never could get over the ending. Maybe because it was a bit rushed, but I didn’t understand why the ending happened. It’s videos like this that allow me to better understand and appreciate it more. But also, makes me really want to see this story actually continue so we can get a definitive ending!

How, the heck, are there still community content, for this show, in 2022? Idk I always felt like beating a dead horse back to life when I think of madoka. But I guess it really is still very much alive. Also I know there will be a new movie.

I don't think she became evil. I think it's more like what happened in the original series. In the series, she took on a cold uncaring personality seemingly not caring about anyone but Madoka, but this is just a front. She clearly still has the same emotions she always did, and even though she acts as though she doesn't care about the others, she does. The cracks in this façade show up multiple times and I think it's just a coping mechanism. I think her being 'evil' is the same thing. In her conversation with Sayaka at the end of Rebellion, she's so over the top in terms of trying to seem evil that it almost comes off as cringe worthy, which makes me think it's an act like her cold uncaring personality was. She doesn't think a person who did what she did could possibly be good, so she acts like she isn't, just so she can sleep at night and shut out the guilt she feels for everything that has happened. What she did was evil but her intent was never malicious, almost like the Incubators. After all, if she truely was evil, would she have really let Mami, Kyoko, and Sayaka continute to exist in her world given the threat they could pose to it?

I really feel like what she did in Rebellion made complete sense for her character and what she's had to endure thus far. Makes sense she'd be a bit crazy. Even so, think about it: Homura herself is the reason that Madoka became Godoka. Madoka didn't mentally have to go through 12 years of loops; Homura endured every minute of it, so why do people feel as if Homura is not at all entitled to that power or the decision she made? I was surprised it was considered so divisive.

Whatever Homura did, she did nothing wrong 🤫😔

Because their May be a sequel it makes me want to see the outcome of madoka finding out what homera did and see if she will really hate her and fight her.

There's a thing I wanted to ask but when we become a witch doesn't that mean the personality of the magical girl die? Because if you put Isabeau (magia record) when she became a witch and one of her daughter wished she came back to her human body, we can see that Isabeau True personality (old personality as a magical girl) disaspear and there's only her witch personality in her human body. So maybe Homura is actually dead and the Homura we see at the end of the film is Homulilly (her witch) in her human body.

speaking about sayaka, you can really see the hypocrisy some fans are in how they label her and homura. both made a wish for the benefit of the other, yet generally sayaka gets labeled as the one who made a selfish wish one while homura's wish was selfless(or at least prior to the movie but there's still a number that will say it was selfless). in truth, homura was just lucky that madoka was generally concerned with everyone and didn't have someone she fancied or fancied her in return. if a similar situation with sayaka had occurred where there was a boy(or girl I guess) that seemed like would get into a relationship with madoka, I wouldn't disregard the possibility homura could have eventually darkened.

5:22 Such a good catch! It's not about saving Madoka, it's about having her. Great breakdown and editing! Keep it up :D

I think you're definitely right. Homura lacks originality, and creativity. She does the same thing over and over again because it's all she knows how to do. This was a really cool video essays! One of my favorites for Madoka Magica. I do think Madoka does on some level mean what she says in the flower garden, that it would be painful, and that she doesn't think she'd be able to do it-I do think it would be rather painful (if also rewarding) for her, and with this Madoka basically the Madoka we first meet-unconfident, self conscious, with a lot of self esteem issues-I genuinely think she thinks she couldn't do it. Of course, we know thats wrong, because Madoka is always stronger than she thinks she is, but this Madoka doesn't realize that. And I think that's the tragedy of Madoka and Homura's relationship. Homura tells a Madoka who hates herself to never change, and keeps resetting her back to zero to "save" her whenever she finds her resolve to change, take action, and become someone she's proud of being. In Homura's perfect world, Madoka is passive. Docile. Sweet, but not much else. Yet even Homura herself will never be satisfied with such an ending, because she fell in love with the Madoka that saved her. That Madoka found her confidence, her resolve. In her quest to save Madoka, she strips her of her agency, her choices, over and over again. I think Homura loves Madoka, but she doesn't respect her choices. Not fully. That's why she can undo them over and over again. Yet, the very thing she loves about her is her kindness, so it's kind of paradoxical for her to try and stop her self sacrifice over and over again in order to save her-because isn't that what she loves about her in the first place? It makes me think that Homura and Madoka will never truly work out. Because Homura can never truly get what she wants: the Madoka who saved her, and the Madoka who would never leave. Because they cannot exist together. And she's always just going to be repeating the same thing over and over again, just to be with Madoka.

It is funny that I saw the Japanese version, so you talked a lot about Monika and i was thinking "who the hell is Monika?" Until I realized.

Now just to wait for the third and final instalment of the anime to come out so you can disect this ones plot

That is a great take!!! That Homura is not considering the two sides of Madoka for a lot of the plot and how the despite adoring Madoka she can’t even grasp her fully or what drew her to Madoka. Homura though in my opinion oscillates between wanting to die so she doesn’t bring harm to Madoka or be the selfish wretch that would disregard Madoka to have what they want from her. In the end it was her own scruples as the protective magical girl that died with the witch with the deranged and lonely adorer remaining and accepting whatever it takes to have the Madoka she desires, one untouched by her divine nature. But even that was a Madoka capable of leaving her as her being entirely inside her devil labyrinth(instead of being both inside and outside her witch one) seemed to cause her to not be affected by delusions that would be there to please Homura cause the second to see that she will not be able to get what she wants cause Madoka is who she ultimately became. The protective Madoka is essential to Homura instead of the nurturing Madoka(or at least only the nurturing is not enough) and while the human Madoka has seeds of that protective strain, her fully realized self in that category that is what seems to be the the factor that will trigger the next movie. There is an unknown magical girl that seems to be an amalgamation of the magical girl we know but that uses a bow(another KZfaqr made this following amazing guess) that it is the law of cycles that wasn’t taken by Homura, she wanted the Madoka that would be together with her but she very much forgot that it wasn’t her nurturing pacifist nature that approached her and made the difference but her protective and proactive nature that always shone through to make her hope itself. That is both her past and future selves and Homura is now at least instinctively aware of that and will take a “the show must go on” approach and enjoy her time with Madoka. Lastly. Could this have been avoided? Maybe. If anyone OTHER than f’ing Sayaka Miki(nothing against her character just that they get along as well as water and oil) that Homura NEVER got along with as they’d likely just told her the truth openly Homura and how they can get her out of here Homura would have taken the option in which she would be together with Madoka in her Valhalla. But in personality aspects of immaturity Sayaka and Homura are opposites in which Sayaka has childish aspirations and proclivities and took the opportunity of handholding when it wasn’t her having the problem while Homura has very clear laser-focused goals that can border on cruel desperately trying to be controlled and adult-like that hearing that there was a plan in place would have given her endless relief in how newfound it’d be. If Oriko exists she would actually been the perfect vessel(she is even more of an awful creature than Homura and is likely killed by her every timeline if she is canon).

I love romance doomed by the narrative!!

WOOOO MADOKA MAGICA

Love it

Can you talk about Kaitou Joker?

Say one wanted to have an actual 1:1 conversation in real time about, say, Rebellion into the rumored sequel. Where's the best places to have these? I prefer voice chat for in depth conversations around theory, character motivatino, etc.

"What is the life of one ordinary girl against a universe?" Everything

bro have you watched Monster it's a horror and detective I definitely recommend it

Would neat if the professor did a deep dive in to fate/ zero, but that is a big task cause fate vers is big and confusing

Homura is the best character in the series, can't wait for the Rebellion sequel and the finale for Magia Record

Imagine being so villain in anime that you don't even have a tragic backstory💀even villains from the older anime have a backstory but does Kyuubey have one? No, we only know he's an alien. Does Homura have one? The only thing we get from Homura(besides Madoka) about her backstory is the fact that she has a weak heart.

Well said, sir. One thing I always liked about the Rebellion movie is how, much like the original series deconstructed the Magical Girl genre, the movie deconstructs the Fix Fic. If you aren't familiar with the term, a Fix Fic is a type of fanfiction made for series with sad or bittersweet endings in the fan's attempt to make a happier conclusion, either by following up the original ending or changing a few small details about the ending itself. And I love how it fits Homura's character so well that she did it twice herself in the movie. But it also notes how... those kind of fans may not have properly appreciated what the ending stood for and are more focused on their own biases ir interests. The fans who find some excuse for Lelouch to survive or can't stand to see Iron Man's fate, despite stopping Thanos. In essence, Homura becomes a mirror to fans to think whether the ending they got is actually fitting for the story or not. And in the case of Madoka Magica the anime, Homura couldn't while I can.

"No one can be with anyone together forever"...well, that's only if you forget about SOULS. Then it supposedly becomes possible at least. This is an anime with "life after death" after all, as we see with Bebe and Sayaka in Rebellion.

Madoka and Homura talking: Really feelling like Lulu talking to Riven XD

This makes me wonder… what is the rest of the world doing??? Like does Homura’s new existence as evil change the whole “Labyrinth” thing? Everyone has free will…? It doesn’t seem like it. Homura could erase Sayaka’s mind with a clap of her hands. Unless her power only works on magical girls. Idk but I’m excited for the new movie lol

6:02 I know this two year but this is not sayaka but te witch sayaka beacause the real sayaka never compliment homura

Another great video with some great points! Conngrats, man! But I think the fact that you place too much emphasis on Godoka or Akuma Homura makes you ignore the actual god of this story: the Incubator. I also think you give Godoka too much credit and too much power: at the end of the series, Godoka is nothing but a phenomenon, a concept, or a natural process of the Universe. After Madoka made her wish, she didn't re-create the universe, the universe had to re-create itself to accommodate the existence of this new entity. Homura was there because her wish made her conscience exist beyond time and space - that is the reason Homura's conscience is present outside the re-writing of the universe and she is the only one to remember Madoka the person, while the others never get to meet Madoka in the re-written world. Godoka is nothing but a Soul Reaper - her "powers" allow her to be everywhere, anytime in the re-written world, and they manifest seconds before the a MG's Soul Gem turns completely dark and is about to turn into a Grief Seed. The Wraiths from the re-written world was the universe's way of giving Negative Emotions shape, so that the Incubator (i"m referring it with "the" since I perceive as more of a hive-mind with multiple bodies that lack individuality) can still collect Energy - in the re-written world, MGs are something like the Police or White blood-cells. The same thing applies to Akuma Homura - during the Void scene, when she plays with one of the Incubator's bodies (I like to think that is the form the Incubator's hive-mind conscience took shape there), since Homura herself is an existence that transcends time and space she can witness the re-writing of the previously re-written universe to accept Akuma Homura as the new existence. The universe is governed by it's own laws - it has always been there. It is on a scale that even transcendental beings like Godoka or A-Homura can't create or re-create it. They can only meddle with the laws of the universe, forcing change to a small degree. this is because their powers stem from the Incubator, a being that it itself cannot prevent the End of the Universe, only delay it. Because of the Incubator experiment at the end of Rebellion, I don't believe Homura is reborn as Ultimate Evil, just as I've never perceived Madoka to be the Ultimate Good. When Homura wakes up from inside the cage, she had become an existence that was outside The Law of the Cycle's power: Homura was already forced to become a witch inside her Soul Gem, Godoka tried to intervene, but the Incubator's Cage prevented that influence, instead, the human conscience of TLotC, Madoka, got trapped inside and forgot its purpose. After the Cage is broken, TLotC regains its conscience, but it can no longer affect Homura, since Homura has transcended beyond Godoka's realm of influence. Since everything happened within her own Soul Gem, Homura now know how to separate Madoka's human conscience from the Natural Phenomenon Godoka, and the Universe re-writes itself by giving a human body to Madoka's conscience that Homura tore away from the Natural Phenomenon. In the re-re-written world, TLotC still exists and prevents witches from being created, but it does so automatically, without a conscience. The Madoka we see in class is a being that is now aware of her own individuality but is in danger of re-merging with Godoka if she starts doubting she's an individual. The experiment has taught Homura that the Incubator is relentless - it is a being of pure rationality that has the intellect to understand and even meddle (to some extent) with the laws of the Universe. It will stop at nothing to bring back "The Witch system" since that was their most successful invention to gather energy - until Madoka changed it to be less efficient, but still good, nonetheless. In Rebellion, the Incubator does some backtracking, analyzes and finds ways to improve the Wraith System and identify TLotC as being the impediment to its previously more successful system. In Rebellion, the Incubator seeks to capture or even erase TLotC by means of catching it, studying it, understanding it and ultimately, eliminating it. In a post-Godoka universe, the Energy generated by Negative Emotion would almost double with the existence of both Wraiths and the return of the Witches. This is why A-Homura bluffs in the Void room by declaring herself as a Devil. The Incubator has no concept of Good and Evil. I like to believe that A-Homura is in fact new guardian of Madoka's human conscience that is now within a human body, but also the guardian of TLotC. Sure, she keeps Madoka's conscience inside the human body separated from Godoka because Homura wants a tangible being to interact with. Madoka's human body is now free to age, free to become an adult, and probably die (if Homura allows it). This is the ideal situation Homura can finally accept and be satisfied with: a reality where Madoka is human, where she has the the strength to protect both Madoka and Godoka and MGs don't suffer and become witches. I'm really curious to see if and how the 4th movie turns my conclusions against me. :D

When you realize that Madara Uchiha failed, where as Homura Akemi Succeeded. (At least for now) Madara attempts to put the entire ninja world in the infinite tsukuyomi . Homura Akemi Takes control of the incubators, becomes a demon, creates her own illusion. And keeps Madoka (who is the most precious to her) in her illusion. She’s won, for now. Or has she lost? Knowing that this world she created is not real, knowing that one Day Maduka will come to the truth. And they will both have to face each other, face the reality of the world that Homura created. They may become enemies one day, we’ll just have to wait and see in the fourth movie

I m not all the way through so maybe you say it but. Homura becomes cold and cool like she is because madoka said she should make it her life goal, when they first met at school. Even how humora changes was deeply influenced by her one friends

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” - Albert Einstein

I disagree that he doesnt care about sayaka and mami, an he did care abou kyoka, she just saw them die all the time and in former, sayaka is a tragic character that always seems to either hate her becaus she is too close to madoka and jealous or othe human flaws , or selfdestroys. And homura, was granting her wish giving her a fast death at least. And mami, she is very similar as she either killed kyoka even and refuses anytime help and runs into her doom on her own false pride. And kyoka, its love riight, kyoka seems to alway be dragged down with sayaka. Sayaka just refuses homuras help as does mami because of their very nature, and homura does try, Wvwn i it with the, you will e dificult again and not listen, eh, really only madoka listens. her love for hr is a factor, but she isnt dismissing th others, she just is that tired she just cant (and she allied with kyoka). I see it just as her, she cant car anymore about whats nessesary. Not that homura isnt really flawed, just she cared, she tried and was really rejected a lot there. We see how she gets more desperate . And its not evil, she even has a good point, and madoka is not herself as law. And homura is yeah getting really ambivalent and not great, but she is broken and ok the incubators ate the real evil.

Ups she did it again…

She did it for The Rock.